Nine Years Ago

Has it really been nine years? I never thought when I started this blog on December 30, 2007 that I would be writing it so many years later. But here I am so here I write.

This year was not my most productive - this is my 41st post of the year. That is an average of only 3.4 posts per month.  In July I only wrote one post. In June,  I posted more than three because I couldn't wait to share all the research news I heard at the ASCO annual meeting. Attending that meeting as a survivor/ research advocate is a real privilege and I recommend that if you are a research advocate you apply for a scholarship to attend. Then in November I  tried the WEGOHealth Health Activist Writers Month Challenge but I ended up only writing seven posts. But I enjoyed the prompts that I did respond to.

My most popular posts of 2016 were:

A Rudderless Ship

Apr 26, 2016

The Days of ASCO- Liquid Biopsies

Jun 13, 2016

Between a Rock and Hard Place - Surveillance after...

Aug 24, 2016

So why did I blog less this year than any of the previous 8 years? I think it is due to an increase in my advocacy work over the past 12 months. I continue to  co-moderate the #gyncsm chat  (2nd Wed. of the month 9pm ET) and post on the communities blog (http://gyncsm.blogspot.com/).  This year we ran a survey so I worked with Christina ( @btrfly12) developing and analyzing the data from that survey to guide our future chats.We draft questions, invite guests, develop resources and promote this monthly chat as well as sharing on Twitter important developments of interest to the gynecologic cancer community on a daily basis. 

As a member of the  Board of the Kaleidoscope of Hope Ovarian Cancer Foundation, which raises funds for ovarian cancer research I oversee the social media (Facebook, Twitter) and the Foundation's website content.  I also volunteer with ASCO, serving as a patient representative on a tumor board and guideline panels.  Then I spent time in October working on a presentation and attending the AZ Patient Summit in Portugal. 

And of course time with family( always my first priority)  cut into the time I would spend writing blog posts. There are times I question whether or not I should continue writing this blog.  But I always come back to my original goal for the blog - to help other women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Even if I help and support one woman a year I feel I've accomplished something.

So I will keep on writing.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing! 

Season's Greetings

As I approach the ninth anniversary of writing this blog I want my readers to know how much I appreciate their support and the time you each take to read and comment on my posts. Thank you!

I wish my readers

Dee

Last Research News of 2016 - Rubraca and FoundationFocus™ CDxBRCA

Another FDA approval for an ovarian cancer treatment happened this week.

"Rubraca is approved for women with advanced ovarian cancer who have been treated with two or more chemotherapies and whose tumors have a specific gene mutation (deleterious BRCA) as identified by an FDA-approved companion diagnostic test." - FDA (http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm533873.htm)

Rubraca (rucaparib) is a PARP (poly ADP-ribose polymerase)  inhibitor made by Clovis Oncology. The approval is based on two trials. One of the trials is the ARIEL2 trial. In that trial the duration of response was 11.6 months. 

Along with Rubraca, the FDA also approved the  FoundationFocus™ CDxBRCA companion diagnostic to identify those women diagnosed with ovarian cancer who have a BRCA mutation.  This is the first next-generation-sequencing (NGS)-based companion diagnostic approved by the FDA. The test by Foundation Medicine, Inc.  can test for both germline and somatic BRCA mutations in tumor tissue. Germline are inherited mutations and somatic are acquired mutations. 

 

Sources :

Cure Today: http://www.curetoday.com/articles/rubraca-approved-for-advanced-ovarian-cancer?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Cure+Today&utm_campaign=CURE_Breaking_News_12-19-16#undefined.uxfs

Street Insider : http://www.streetinsider.com/Corporate+News/Foundation+Medicine+(FMI)+Announces+FDA+Approval+of+FoundationFocus,+Companion+Diagnostic+for+Rubraca/12356799.html 

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing! 

Avastin ( Bevacizumab) Approval Expanded for Platinum Sensitive Ovarian Cancer

Earlier this month the FDA approved the expanded use of Avastin (bevacizumab) for platinum sensitive ovarian cancer (OC) . Being platinum sensitive means that a women has a recurrence 6 months or more from her last treatment.

Avastin may be used for:
"Recurrent epithelial ovarian , fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer that is

• platinum-resistant in combination with paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, or topotecan
• platinum-sensitive in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel or in combination with carboplatin and gemcitabine, followed byAvastin as a single agent (1.6) "

The complete label of use for Avastin / bevacizumab may be found here.

This approval is based on two phase III studies. One study, GOG-213, showed a 5 month longer overall survival for women with platinum sensitive OC when treated with  bevacizumab and chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. The other study, OCEANS, showed a median progression free survival of  4 months for those receiving Avastin and chemotherapy versus those receiving placebo and chemotherapy.

Avastin had previously been approved in 2014 for women with platinum resistant ovarian cancer, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal in combination with paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin or topotecan chemotherapy.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing! Happy to see more options for women with platinum sensitive OC. 



Sources
Roche:
http://www.roche.com/media/store/releases/med-cor-2016-12-07.htm

Cure Today:
http://www.curetoday.com/articles/avastin-gets-expanded-fda-approval-for-platinumsensitive-ovarian-cancer 

Genentech:
https://www.gene.com/media/press-releases/14647/2016-12-06/fda-approves-genentechs-avastin-bevacizu

She Gave Many Hope

I first spoke with Lois Myers in early 2007.  She had been diagnosed in 1998 with stage 3 ovarian cancer and although she had a recurrence in 2005 she was disease free then. I had reached out to her to talk about getting involved with the Kaleidoscope of Hope Foundation. The Foundation raises funds for research and awareness of ovarian cancer and was founded in 2000 by Lois, Gail MacNeil and Patty Stewart-Busso. I went to the 2007 Awards Gala and later joined the Board. When I recurred in 2008 Lois supported my decision to have surgery first  and insisted that I remain on the Board through treatment.

 2009 KOH Awards Gala (Lois, Dee, Carole)

Lois was a driving force in NJ and even in Washington DC as she raised awareness and funds for an early detection test for ovarian cancer and ultimately a cure for the disease. She also gave me hope that I could live a long life. We left the KOH Board around the same time ( I rejoined the Board earlier this year) and we stayed in touch via e-mail and Facebook.

Sadly those occasional messages have come to an end. Lois passed away yesterday, November 29, 2016.

Over 18 years as an Ovarian Cancer Survivor.  She will be missed by her community of Teal Sisters and the entire ovarian cancer advocacy community. 

Rest in Peace Lois.

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

#HAWMC Day 17 - A Throwback Thursday Post

It was very hard to choose one post from 9 years of blogging but I knew wanted to find one that spoke about symptoms and the impact ovarian cancer has in the world. So I chose the following from May 2013:

Every Women is at Risk- World Ovarian Cancer Awareness Day !

This is truly amazing. It is a first for ovarian cancer.
Twenty seven organizations and seventeen countries around the world are celebrating World Ovarian Cancer Day today. Women in these countries are going to wear teal, the awareness color of ovarian cancer. They will  talk about symptoms and risk factors and raise awareness. Since I was diagnosed I have often thought that there are many wonderful organizations raising awareness and funds for research but we need one voice. I am so happy to see that is happening today.

Why is this day necessary?
Ovarian Cancer has the lowest survival rate of any gynecologic cancer.
All women are at risk for ovarian cancer.
Many women think that the Pap Test is a screening test for ovarian cancer. It is NOT!
Many women do not know that there are Ovarian Cancer symptoms.
The global diagnosis rate for ovarian cancer is a quarter million women.
Approximately 6500 women are diagnosed with OC in the UK every year.
Approximately 25000 women are diagnosed with OC in the US each year.
Approximately 1400 women are diagnosed with OC in the Australia each year.


What can you do? 
Share these symptoms with other women and if they last more than 2 weeks please see your gynecologist.

Bloating

Eating less

Abdominal pain 

Trouble with your bladder 

For more information:http://ovariancancerday.org/
Hope you learned something new!

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

Day 9 #HAMWC. What's your ideal day?

This one is easy.

Who would be part of my ideal day?
My husband, daughter , son-in-law, son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons.

Where would we be? 
Two choices for this one.
Close to home in Belmar spending time on the beach at the Jersey shore.
or
Farther from home we would all be together at DisneyWorld probably walking around Epcot or going on the safari ride at Animal Kingdom.

I will cancel meetings and rearrange things to spend time or visit family and friends. I once didn't attend an awards event - I was receiving the Spirit of Hope Award -  because I was moving my daughter and her husband to their new home.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!